To Live in Azkaban
by PadfootObsessed329
Summary: In their will, James and Lily Potter stated that under no circumstances was their son to be removed from his Godfather’s care. Now with Sirius Black in Azkaban, Albus Dumbledore has a problem. Will he really have to allow Harry Potter to live in Azkaban?
1. The Will of the Deceased

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize. Obviously the Harry Potter characters are not mine.

**Title: **To Live in Azkaban

**Summary**: In their will, James and Lily Potter stated that under no circumstances was their son, Harry Potter, to be removed from his Godfather's care. Now with Sirius Black being in Azkaban, Albus Dumbledore has a problem. Will be really have to allow Harry Potter, the savior of the Wizarding World, to live in Azkaban with a convicted murderer? And what will the rest of the community think when they hear the new?

**Main Characters**: Harry and Sirius

**Pairings**: None or at least at this time there will be none.

**Chapter 1: The Will of the Deceased**

For Albus Dumbledore tonight, October 31, 1981, was the worst night of his entire life. Voldemort had finally gotten the Potters. Dumbledore blamed himself and himself only. He should have tried harder to convince the Potters to allow him to be there Secret Keeper. If he had been appointed Secret Keeper than Lily and James Potter would still be alive. He had only agreed to their choice to use Sirius because he trusted him. Sirius Black had seemed like a loyal, loving friend. Him and James had instantly become friends in their first year, despite their different backgrounds. Sirius turned his back on his family. He's been sorted into Gryffindor and became friends with people that his family would have deemed unworthy. He'd refused to use any dark magic and quickly gained to trust and respect of most of the school.

He's fooled them all. Tonight Sirius had shown his true loyalty and it did not lay with Lily and James Potter. It lay with the Dark Lord; someone that nobody would have ever thought Sirius Black would ever turn to.

Tears formed in Dumbledore's eyes as he thought of the two people that had died tonight. They had been like children to him and now he feared what he would be forced to do. When he had tried to drop young Harry off at his aunt and uncle's house, he and Professor McGonagall had encountered a problem. As soon as Dumbledore had placed Harry on the Dursleys' doorstep, he had come flying back into Dumbledore's arms. No matter how many times he tried to leave Harry, he received the same result. Finally giving up, Dumbledore and McGonagall made their way back to Hogwarts, where they found the will of James and Lily Potter sitting upon his desk.

_If you are reading this than I, Lily Potter and I, James Potter are dead. We hoped that this will would not be needed, but we wrote it and placed a time delaying charm upon it incase something happened to the two of us. We hope that if the spy gave Voldemort our location that only the two of us have died and that our son, Harry James Potter, is alive and in the care of his godfather, Sirius Black. Under no circumstances is Harry to be taken from Sirius' care. If anyone tries to place him in anyone else's care, then he will be taken back to Albus. After three days since our deaths, if Harry is not in Sirius' care he will magically be transported to wherever Sirius may be. After that he can only be removed from Sirius with Sirius's permission. Our only other wish is that Harry inherits all our belongings and our bank accounts._

_Love always,_

_**Lily Potter**_

_**James Potter**_

_Signed October 1981_

_Witnessed by: Sirius O. Black and Remus J. Lupin._

"Well that certainly explains our problem." Dumbledore said to McGonagall after they had both finished reading the will. "Now we must find a way to break this spell. Lily and James wouldn't want Harry in Sirius's care if they had known what he has done."

"But what are we to do?" McGonagall asked.

"We start researching. Our time is short. We must break this spell before our time is up. We can not, under any circumstance, allow Harry to grow up with the man that is responsible for his parent's deaths." Dumbledore said, as he rocked Harry in an attempt to get the boy to fall asleep.

Harry is seemed, had other plans. The boy refused to go to sleep. He screeched and screech, often calling out for his 'ma' or 'da.' Dumbledore felt the deepest sympathy for the boy. No child should have to grow up without his parents. Finally conjuring up a small picture of Lily and James, Dumbledore placed it in the transfigured crib nest to the screaming baby. Shortly after, little Harry fell asleep, the picture encircled in Harry's arms.

After and hour of researching with no luck, Albus heard a voice calling him from the fireplace. Turning, he came face to face with a tired, pained, Remus Lupin.

"Albus, we just got word that something has happened in downtown muggle London. It was Sirius. He blew up a muggle street killing twelve muggles and Peter Pettigrew. You're needed at the Ministry to tell them that Sirius was James' Secret Keeper." Lupin reported. His voice had shown disgusted and shock when he said Sirius' name and then it had changed to sadness when he mentioned the names of his now deceased friends.

"Thank you, Remus and I am sorry that you were the one that had to tell me the news. Why don't you go home and get some rest. I will personally call upon you when we get some news."

"He was laughing, Albus. He killed Peter and twelve muggles and he laughed. How could he laugh? Peter and James were our friends! How could he kill them? How could he kill the only family I ever had?" Remus questioned painfully before he vanished from the fire to ponder if Sirius had ever in fact cared for any other them.

-x-

"Minister, the fact that Sirius was the Secret Keeper to the Potters in not the only problem. I received the Potters' will in my office last night. It states clearly that Harry is to live with Sirius." Albus started.

"You know that that is impossible, Albus. Sirius in on his way to Azkaban and that is where he shall stay. I'm sorry that we can not respect Lily and James Potter's wishes, but Azkaban is no place to raise a child. I'm sorry, Albus, but the child is going to have to be raised by someone else. Maybe a family like the Weasleys would take him in." Minister Fudge suggested.

"I understand what you are saying, but this was no ordinary will. Lily and James Potter used an old spell on their will. It stated clearly that they want their child to be raised by Sirius Black." Dumbledore answered before handing over the will for Fudge to read.

Once done, Fudge looked up at Dumbledore, his eyes clearly displaying shock and disbelief.

"But there is no way Albus. No way. Harry Potter, the savior of the Wizarding World, The-Boy-Who-Lived, live in Azkaban? What do we do? What do we do?" Fudge asked.

"The only thing that we can do, Minister. We send Harry to live with Godfather." Dumbledore said hating that he would have to do such a thing to poor, little Harry.

"I'll make the arrangements then. It's seems that Sirius Black is going to be in a more comfortable room than all the other Azkaban prisoners. There is no need to Harry to be subjected to the dementors and since Sirius is going to be his guardian, Sirius will have a private room without dementors." Fudge announced as he shook his head in defeat. A child in Azkaban. Such a thing was just unheard of!

A/n: well that is chapter 1. I know that this chapter is short and not very good, but I promise that the following chapters will be much better. Please review and let me know what you thought.

Thanks,

PadfootObsessed329


	2. A Startling Surprise

Disclaimer: I do not unfortunately own Harry Potter or anything that is associated with it.

**Chapter Two: A Startling Surprise**

Sirius Black sat in his cell with his head buried in his hands. He couldn't believe that this was happening. Lily and James were dead, Peter was a traitor, Remus hated him and thought him the traitor, and he had been wrongly accused of mass murder and condemned to life in Azkaban. Thinking about his friends, or one time friends as now they were either dead, or as good as dead to him, Sirius's mind began to wonder to their days at Hogwarts. Things had seemed so simple then. It had just been the four of them. Four pranksters that had decided to call themselves the Marauders. Four friends that had grown to become the most popular boys in Gryffindor and eventually all of Hogwarts.

He chuckled as he remembered how close he and James had become. After they had decided to become friends, they had also become inseparable. It got to the point that the younger students actually thought that they were brothers until…

Slowly, the image of Remus began to wonder into his mind. He could still see him as he had looked as a young boy at Hogwarts. It had always puzzled Sirius that Remus had looked so worn out and tired all the time, so he was not all that surprised when Remus had decided to fill his friends in on his secret. After all, it did make quite a bit of sense. It explained why he avoided his friends at certain times of the month, why he was always in the infirmary, and it explained his appearance. Thinking of Remus only saddened Sirius. He knew that his friend was out there all alone and blaming him for something he had not even done.

He and Remus were the only ones left. He wanted so badly to explained to Remus that he was innocent. He didn't want his only remaining friend to believe that he was a murderer, or worse, that he would ever betray Lily and James. James had saved him. Sirius had always known that he was nothing like his family and growing up in that house was unbearable. When he and James had met on the train, Sirius instantly found someone that he knew he could be close to. He knew he had found someone that would understand him. He had found a brother; He'd finally found his true family.

Sirius wanted Remus to know that he would never betray James. He wouldn't kill the first bit of family he had ever had. He would rather of died, then give away James' location.

Sirius cursed Peter loudly when the image of the rat came to his mind. He was barely able to contain his anger. Peter was suppose to be their friend! He was suppose to be a brother! How could he turn against them? How could he just hand over his friends like that? If it hadn't been for Peter none of this ever would have happened. Lily and James would still be alive and he wouldn't be spending the rest of his life in a damp dark cell, surrounded by wizards that actually deserved to be in this place.

Lying down on the dirty, uncomfortable cot that was located in the corner of his cell, Sirius began questioning himself. How could things have gone so terribly wrong? If they had been so close friends at Hogwarts, then how could things have turned out this way only years later? Sirius began to wonder if he would ever feel whole again. It was at Hogwarts that he had first learned the meaning of family. His friends had become his family and he saw Mr. and Mrs. Potters as his own mother and father more than his biological ones. To him, family was where you were loved and you loved back, not by blood. Blood meant nothing to Sirius. With James and Lily dead, Sirius didn't believe that he would ever feel loved again. The world now hated him for a crime he hadn't committed and everyone that had once loved him was either dead or thought he had betrayed them.

And what about Harry? What would Harry think of him? Would he grow up thinking that his godfather was a murderer? Or would he even know he had a godfather? Would he blame him for the death of his parents? These haunting thoughts ran through Sirius's mind as he finally drifted off to sleep.

When Sirius awoke the next morning, he instantly knew that something was definitely different from the previous night. When he looked to the left, he could see that a group of at least twenty people were huddled together close to two of the larger cells. From what he could see, which wasn't much considering other cells were blocking his view, these people, who looked and behaved like ministry officials, were placing charms on two of the larger cells. It also appeared as if they were planning on knocking out the middle wall and making the two cells into one big one.

Sitting back down on his cot, Sirius thought about what these people might be doing. No matter how much he thought, he just could not come up with any reason why someone in Azkaban would need charms and a cell of that size. Wasn't one of the points of Azkaban to make prisoners feel as uncomfortable as possible? The small cells, the horrible cots, the lack of heat, and the dementors? That all made sense, but what these people were doing contradicted all of that. They were making the cell bigger, placing charms that ranged from cleaning charms to warming spells. What amazed him most, however, was that there was not a dementor in sight. What was the point of placing someone in Azkaban if you were going to repel the dementors?

Getting back up, Sirius decided that since there was nothing else that he could do in his cell, he might as well watch the people as they worked. Maybe, he reasoned, he could figure out just what they were doing. All day he watched them, yet he couldn't figure out what they were doing nor what they planned to use the cell for. He heard his name mentioned a few times and occasional glances were thrown his way, but he figured they were just discussing what they believed he had done. After all, he had been thrown into Azkaban only yesterday.

By the time they had decided to go home for the night, the cells they had been working on looked completely different. In fact, if you had not known that there had been two cells there in the first place, you would never have been able to tell. It now looked like a small house where two or three people could live comfortably. The cell bars had been knocked out and replaced by walls, a bathroom had been installed, as well as a kitchen, and windows and doors had been placed on the newly installed walls. Still mystified by what was going on, Sirius fell asleep not knowing that all his questions would be answered the next day.

**- x -**

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, baby Harry in his arms as he leafed through book after book. He had been searching nonstop for the last two days, yet he could not find a single spell that would break the one that Lily and James Potter had used to bind their will. If he did not find something by tonight, then this precious little baby would have to spend the next eleven years of his life living within the walls of Azkaban and in a little house with his godfather that had caused his parents death. Truth be told, Harry might not ever get to go to Hogwarts if he was raised by Black. After all, the will did say that Harry could only be taken from him if he gave permission.

No, Albus told himself. He could not and would not allow this child, the savior of the wizarding world to live in such a place with a mass murder. With that thought in mind, he placed the child back into his carrier and began searching once more for a counter spell.

For hours and hours Albus searched. He stopped for nothing. Food, water, the bathroom. None of that mattered. All that mattered to him was finding something that would save Harry Potter from living such a horrible life. However, when the clock struck nine o'clock, young Harry and his carrier magically disappeared and Albus knew that he was out of time. There was only one thing left for him to do, he told himself. And that was to go to Azkaban and beg Sirius Black to release Harry Potter from his care.

-x-

Once again, Sirius Black awoke to find ministry officials at the cell, which could now be called a house. This time however, they were not fixing up the 'house', but were instead bringing in various household items. Including a refrigerator, a stove and a bed. He continued to watch as they brought more and more furniture into the house, but he received the surprise of his life when he saw two men carrying in a crib. The crib was followed by boxes of toys, baby food, baby books, and a changing table. Who in there right mind would allow a baby to live in Azkaban? He didn't know what to think. All he knew was that this was not the place for a child to grow up. A child deserved a to live in a nice loving home with his or her mother and father, not a prison like Azkaban.

Deciding that he had seen enough for the day, Sirius sat in the corner where he soon was lost in thought about the things he had witnessed the past few days, the death of Lily and James as well as the loss of Harry, and his Hogwarts days. The baby items had reminded him of Harry, but he tried his hardest to push the baby from his mind. His godson would never know him and that thought was just as painful as his best friend's death. He remained in the corner and would have probably stayed there much longer, if he had not been brought out of his thoughts by one of the ministry officials that had been working in the house earlier that day.

"You are Sirius Black, am I correct?" He asked in a nervous kind of way.

"No, I'm Paul Shay," Sirius answered sarcastically and the man gave him a strange look before he proceeded in opening Sirius's cell.

"I would appreciate it you just cooperate Mr. Black. I'm sure you don't want to deal with me just as much as I would rather not deal with you. Now please follow me and no funny business or I will be forced to stun you," he answered as he led Sirius toward the house. Once they reached it, the group of people cast several spells on him. Some of which cleaned him up and others that were commonly used to check for weapons or anything that could be a danger to the people around an individual. After they were all done, the guy that had brought him over opened the door and began to speak once again.

"Go inside and sit down. Someone will be in later to discuss what is going on, if things do not go the way we planned. However, if everything goes the way that it is suppose to, you will be removed from this house and placed back into your cell where you will carry out your sentence like you deserve." The guy said as he pushed Sirius into the house and closed the door.

Once inside, Sirius sat in a chair near the door in a confused state. He had no clue what was going on. What was he doing in this little makeshift house and what plans was that guy talking about? Why was he involved in any plan that the Ministry was making? Sirius, however didn't have much time to wonder what was happening, for he was only in the house for about seven minutes when he suddenly felt something land on his stomach and heard a soft giggle. That giggle, Sirius knew very well. It was the same giggle that Harry had whenever Sirius played with him. Slowly looking down, Sirius saw the smiling face and shining emerald eyes of his godson and slowly he smiled back.

**A/n** well that is all for chapter two. Sorry if it was a bit boring, but there wasn't much that I could really do to make it more interesting.

Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter.

PadfootObsessed329


	3. Dumbledore's Visit

**A/n: **I know that it has been forever since I last update and I am so sorry. Hopefully this chapter will make up for my long absence.

_Previously_

_Once inside, Sirius sat in a chair near the door in a confused state. He had no clue what was going on. What was he doing in this little makeshift house and what plans was that guy talking about? Why was he involved in any plan that the Ministry was making? Sirius, however didn't have much time to wonder what was happening, for he was only in the house for about seven minutes when he suddenly felt something land on his stomach and heard a soft giggle. That giggle, Sirius knew very well. It was the same giggle that Harry had whenever Sirius played with him. Slowly looking down, Sirius saw the smiling face and shining emerald eyes of his godson and slowly he smiled back._

**Chapter Three: Dumbledore's Visit**

The smile on Sirius' face continued to grow wider every second that Harry remained in his lap. He didn't believe it. Harry, his Harry, was really here. He never thought that he would see his precious godson again, but somehow he had magically ended up on his lap, slobbering all over his pants. Quickly getting over his shock, Sirius began to tickle Harry, causing the little boy's laugh to only grow louder.

That soft little laughter was heaven to his ears. That laugh was part of the world that he had left behind. It was part of the world that no longer existed for him. Now, however, he had part of that world again. He had his godson. The little boy that he had always treated like his own son. The child that, even at such a young age, acted so much like his father. He could never get James back, but Harry could help fill that absence that James' death had left.

Suddenly everything became clear to him. The furniture, the crib, baby food and books. It was all for Harry. Harry was going to live with him. His godson was here to stay and nothing and nobody, Sirius swore to himself, was going to take his godson from him. He would raise Harry himself, teaching him the truth about his loyalty and his parents deaths.

**- x -**

Dumbledore stood watching Sirius through one of the few small windows. If he hadn't known better, he would say that the scene before him was of a loving father and son. Watching Sirius smile as he tickled the baby, almost made Dumbledore believe that everything would be fine. That Harry would grow up with more love in Azkaban than he would have gotten at his aunt and uncle's house. Yet the rational part of Dumbledore's brain told him otherwise. He had to get Black to release his custody of the child. Living with Sirius would bring about no good for Harry, Dumbledore reminded himself. At least at the Dursleys, Dumbledore wouldn't have to worry about Harry's safety, even if the boy was never was shown an ounce of love.

Still Dumbledore watch Sirius for a while longer. His former student went from tickling his godson to drawing him close, inhaling the scent of the baby's hair. At the moment, Dumbledore realized that as evil as Sirius Black may be, he truly did love Harry Potter. And Black's love for his godson was only going to make Dumbledore's task harder. If Black hadn't cared about the boy, then he could have been easy to get the child out of Azkaban and into a house where he could easily be protected. Now though, Dumbledore would have to work harder to get young Harry back. He would do anything to get Harry out of Azkaban, including playing on Sirius's love.

Finally pulling himself away from the window, Dumbledore made his way to door. Stopping right before the door, Dumbledore mentally prepared himself for whatever happened next. After all, if there was one thing he had learned from Black, it was that he was always full of surprises. One never knew what the expect when you were around Sirius Black.

**- x-**

Sirius didn't know how long Harry had been there and he really didn't care. Harry was his now. It was up to him to teach him right from wrong. It was Sirius' job to teach Harry the difference between the truth and widely believed rumors. His duty was to be Harry's godfather and he accepted it fully. Nobody would change his mind. Harry was here to stay, regardless to what anyone did or said.

Sirius had just finished singing Harry a lullaby that Lily had sung countless times before, when the door to him makeshift home suddenly opened to reveal Albus Dumbledore. With the arrival of Harry, Sirius had totally forgotten that one of the ministry officials had mentioned someone coming into to discuss the situation with him. He had thought it would have been Fudge, but truthfully he was glad it was Dumbledore. Fudge was an idiot and Sirius didn't know how he would react if the man that threw him in prison, without a trial to boot, had come strolling in his door.

"Hello Albus." Sirius said, moving his eyes back down to his sleeping godson. It didn't take a genius to figure out why Dumbledore was here. He wanted Harry back. Drawing Harry closer to him, Sirius locked eyes with Dumbledore. "You might as well just leave. You're just going to be wasting your time."

"So I take it you've figured out why I'm here, Mister Black." Dumbledore replied, taking a seat in a chair across from Sirius.

"Harry is staying with me." Was Sirius' only response.

"Azkaban is no place for a child, Sirius. Even you have to agree with that. There are places, other families, that could provide adequate protection for Harry. Harry should grow up like other children. Anywhere is better than here." Dumbledore said trying to sway Sirius' decision.

"You're right." Sirius replied and watched as Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with hope. "Azkaban is no place for a child."

"I'm glad that you agree. I knew -" Dumbledore began, but was cut off as Sirius continued.

"But Harry still isn't leaving. As it is, Harry will never grow up like other children. His parents are dead. I'm the closest thing he has left to a parent and I plan to play that part. No one in this world will ever be able to show Harry as much love as I can. No one will ever be able to raise him as I will. Harry stays with me. It's my final decision, Albus. Nothing you could possibly say will change my mind." Sirius replied, stroking Harry's hair as he talked.

"With all due respect, Sirius, I think that Harry's parents would have been able to raise Harry better than you." Dumbledore said, misunderstanding Sirius. He took Sirius' response as Sirius thinking he would be a better parent than James and Lily.

"They would have. They loved him. Oh god, they loved him so much. But they're gone now. And I'm all that Harry has left. I'm his godfather and he is my responsibility." Sirius said, tears in his eyes as he thought of Lily and James.

"It's obvious that you love your godson, Sirius. But if you thought Lily and James were great parents, why did you turn them over to Voldemort? Don't you think Harry had the right to grow up with his father? How do you think Harry will feel when he learns the truth?" Dumbledore pressed forward. He had to get Harry back, even if it meant guilting Sirius into releasing custody.

"Like I told the Ministry before, I'm innocent. I never turned Lily and James over to Voldemort. That was Peter. Peter is the traitor! And since no one wants to believe me, I'll tell Harry the truth about what happened to his parents. Not some false truth that everyone seems to believe. I'll tell Harry why I am in Azkaban and after all this, if he wants to blame me for his parents death, then it's his decision. Until then, Harry stays here with me."

"You won't change your mind then? You want Harry to grow up in Azkaban?" Dumbledore asked one final time. It was obvious that he was getting nowhere. Once Black made up his mind, no one could change it. He'd been like that since his first year.

"No. I don't want Harry to grow up in Azkaban. I wanted him to grow up with his parents. I wanted to be his godfather that showed up everyday to play with him, helping him plan tricks on his parents and Remus. I wanted us all to be a little family, but things changed. Lily and James are dead. Harry will never see his parents again. So it is my job to fill that spot. My job to teach him about his parents. To tell him how they met, how his mother and father fought like crazy, how they fell in love, and about all the pranks James, Remus, and I pulled at Hogwarts. I'm the only one that can do that, Albus. I'm the only one that will be able to raise him like my own. So, no. I won't change my mind. Harry is my responsibility now and no one can take him from me."

"I see that there is nothing else I can do." Dumbledore said starting to get up, but deciding against it. "Do you know why Harry is here, Sirius?"

"Truthfully, no. I'll wager though that it was against your's and the Ministry's wishes, leaving only one explanation. Lily and James must have done something."

"Their will said that you were to receive custody of Harry. They said that he was not to removed unless you said otherwise, which is what brings me to my next question. When he is old enough, will you allow Harry to attend Hogwarts?" Albus asked, it has been on his mind for a day now and he needed to know Black's answer.

"Of course." Sirius replied instantly. "Hogwarts was the best time of my life. I wouldn't ever want Harry to miss out on that."

With a nod, Dumbledore stood up and made his way back to the door.

"There will be Ministry official outside of this door at all times. If you do anything to harm Harry, they will be in here in seconds. You are being watched, Sirius. Remember that." Dumbledore said opening the door and stepping out before saying one last thing to Sirius. "Take care of him. His life is in your hands now."

"I will." Sirius replied as he looked down at the little boy in his hands again. He watched as his godson smiled, letting out some baby gibberish. "I promise, Harry. I'll take always take care of you. You're safe with me."

**A/n: Well that was chapter three. I hoped you all liked it. Please review and tell me what you thought. **

**PadfootObsessed329**


	4. Letters

**Chapter Four: Letters**

The past two days had been pure heaven. After James died, Sirius never thought that he would feel like this again, but having Harry here changed everything. Having Harry here to take care of made life worth living again. He had a purpose again. Harry loved him. He didn't know what the wizarding world believed he had done, he didn't know that he was living with some that was deemed dangerous. All Harry knew was that he was with his godfather. He was with a man that loved him and whom he loved just as much.

Harry reminded Sirius so much of James. The sparkle in his eyes when he smiled, the unruly mop of black hair that was already on his head, and the way he tried to grab and hide things when he didn't think Sirius was watching. As much as he looked like James, he could also see Lily in his little godson. The eyes of course, but they also shared the same laugh and wide smile. Although Sirius knew he would never get Lily and James back, he knew that Harry's being here was helping him deal with their death.

He knew, however, that Harry didn't understand what was going on. Over the past few days, he had called out for both his mother and father. When they hadn't come to him, Harry had looked at Sirius with a sad look in his eyes. Sirius didn't know what he could do. How were you suppose to explain to a baby that his parents were dead and not coming back? So he did the only thing that he could do. He picked Harry up and let him cry in his arms, Harry's tears mixing with his own.

- x -

A week had passed since he had gotten custody of Harry, when the first letter appeared. It was soon followed by loads more, until the floor was littered with parchment. It seemed that the word had gotten out that he had custody of "the savior of the wizarding world." It angered Sirius that that was all these people saw Harry as. They saw him as a hero and a possession, not as a baby that had just lost his parents. They didn't see Harry as a young boy that had feelings. A baby boy that needed to know that he was loved and that his parents didn't leave him on their own will.

They wanted Harry removed from his care because they thought he would ruin their savior. They believed he would fill Harry with lies, teaching him the dark arts from an earlier age. They all thought they could do better. Every letter that he had read stated that they could raise Harry better than he could. They all believed that Harry would come out as a better wizard if he grew up with a wizarding family.

Sirius knew better though. He knew that no one would be able to raise Harry like he could. No one, besides Remus, would be able to tell Harry about his parents. They wouldn't be able to tell him about the friends they had all become at school. They couldn't tell Harry how his father was loved by all and how many people wished they could be James, the leader of the most popular gang of boys. Nobody could tell Harry about the pranks they had pulled or the adventures they had went on. As for Lily, nobody would be able to tell him how brilliant she was, how she had helped the Marauders with their schoolwork, regardless of how much her and James argued. No other wizarding family could possibly tell Harry as much as he could.

They couldn't love Harry as much as he did either. Harry was a part of him. He had been since the moment Sirius had first laid eyes on his godson. He had promised James that day that he would never let anything happen to Harry. A promise that Sirius knew he would keep all his life. To the wizarding world, Harry was just their savior. Someone who had defeated the Dark Lord and made life easier for them. They would always think of Harry that way, Sirius knew. That title would always hang over Harry's head, and as long as they saw Harry as a savior, they would never see him as just a boy. A little boy that had become an orphan and need to be with someone familiar. Someone that had loved him before he became famous.

And that someone was him. Sirius didn't much care what the letters said about him. He had seen such words as traitor, filth, deatheater, kidnapper and such. He didn't care anymore what these people thought of him. It didn't matter that they saw him unfit to raise his godson. They couldn't do anything about it. They didn't have the power to take Harry from him. Only he had the power to give Harry up and he would never do such a thing, unless it was what Harry wanted.

To Sirius, Harry was so much more than "the savoir of the wizarding world." Harry was the son that he would never be able to have. The little baby that he held in his arms was just as much a part of him as James had been. They were a family. He had become part of the Potters when he was only eleven years old. James' death, however painful, did not change that. He was still a part of James, he was still a Potter.

There was one letter, however, that Sirius could not miss. One letter with his name written on the front with a familiar tidy scrawl. He had tried to ignore it. He had placed it on the table in the kitchen, but every time he saw it he thought of his old friend. He didn't want to read that letter. He didn't want to know what Remus thought of him. Besides Harry, Remus was the only other person in this world that he cared about. To actually see Remus calling him a traitor would be too much for him. He already knew that Remus thought he was guilty, but to actually see it in writing would make everything final.

- x -

For three days the letter sat on the table, in their makeshift kitchen. For three days, Sirius had walked passed it trying to ignore it. He didn't want to look at it. He didn't want to read what it said, but he knew that he had procrastinated long enough. With Harry placed securely in one arm, Sirius grabbed the letter and headed for the couch. Placing Harry on the floor near some toys, he watched his godson play for a couple minutes, before he carefully opened the letter.

_How could you, Sirius? How could you betray Lily and James like that? They were your friends! We were all your friends! Did you have this planned all along? _

_You had us all fooled, Sirius! The whole wizarding world believe you were good. You made us all thing that there was a Black that practiced good magic. I never saw you practice dark magic, Sirius! I would never have thought you were a worshiper of the Dark Arts. When did you have time to practice? Were you that good of an actor or were we all fools to believe that a Black was actually on our side._

_You are the reason Lily and James are dead, Sirius! You may not have personally killed them, but you are the reason that they were killed? How can you live with the fact that you killed your best friend, the man that you often referred to as a brother?_

_You killed them, Sirius, and now you have custody of their son? Don't do this to poor Harry! You have caused him enough pain. You've taken away his parents, and now you are forcing him to grow up in Azkaban? A prison is no place for a child, Sirius! He will grow up away from children his own age, away from any company, but you. _

_If you ever felt any love towards Lily and James, any loyalty, release your custody of Harry. He needs a proper home. He needs love. Lily and James never meant for Harry's life to end up like this. Just release him, Sirius! Give him to me or Dumbledore. We can raise him well. Don't ruin Harry's life anymore then you already have._

_Lupin_

Sirius placed the letter on the couch beside him and turned to look at Harry. Would Harry's life really be better if he gave Remus custody? Remus loved Harry, Sirius knew that. He had seen his friend play with Harry before Lily and James had gone into hiding. Remus would be familiar and if he gave up custody now, Harry would soon forget him and have a happy life with Remus.

Not knowing what he should do, Sirius got up and sat on the floor across from Harry, just watching his godson play with his toys. He watched Harry play happily for a couple minutes until Harry realized that Sirius was there. Smiling happily, Harry cooed loudly and crawled over to Sirius. Climbing into his lap, Harry looked up into Sirius' face.

"Pafoo" Harry said as he smiled and placed his hand on Sirius' cheek.

"I love you, Harry. I'll always love you Harry." Sirius replied, picking up the child as he got up.

"Wuf Oo" Harry replied as he curled into his godfather's arms.

Singing Harry Lily's old lullaby, Sirius rocked Harry to sleep. Once asleep, Sirius placed his godson in his crib before heading into the kitchen to write a letter to his old friend.

**A/n: There's chapter four. Sorry again for the long wait. Please review and let me know what you thought.**


	5. To Write A Letter

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, nor any of its characters do not belong to me.

A/n: I have gone through and edited chapters one through four. I have added a little more detail to each chapter, but it won't affect your understanding of the story if you do not go back and reread the chapters.

**Chapter Five: To Write a Letter**

Sirius stared down at the blank parchment in front of him. He had tried for two days to write back to Remus, but he never got past his old friend's nickname. He knew what he wanted to say to Remus, but he couldn't find the way to phrase it. Remus thought he was guilty of the crimes that Peter committed and it would take a lot to convince him otherwise. If he had any chance of proving his innocence to Remus, he needed to start in this letter.

Sighing, Sirius looked down at the floor where Harry was building a tower with his blocks. The boy was an absolute mess. Harry had gotten him up at the crack of dawn, and after a quick breakfast, Harry had expressed that he wanted to go outside. Sirius knew that Harry needed to go outside. The boy needed some fresh air, but there wasn't anything that he could do. Sirius was not allowed outside of the makeshift house. Harry needed to go out into the wizarding world where he could enjoy the things that other children his age enjoyed. Sirius wished that he could take him to the park, and teach him to fly outdoors, but he knew he would never be able to do so. Instead, Sirius took the little hovering broom that the Ministry had provided and told Harry that they would be flying indoors today.

Harry had loved the broom. He kept crying out in joy as it raced around the room as Sirius watched from the couch. Harry was a natural on the broom. One day Sirius knew that Harry would be an excellent quidditch star. Possibly even better than his father.

Around lunch time, Sirius had taken Harry off the broom and attempted to feed him his lunch. Harry, it seemed wanted to play rather than eat. Every couple of bites, Harry would spit his food back into Sirius' face, always laughing at the expressions his godfather would make. Sirius knew that he shouldn't encourage the boy, but he couldn't help it. If spitting his food back at his godfather made Harry happy, then so be it. When the plate of baby food was finally gone and both boys covered in baby food, Sirius cleaned himself and sat down to try and write a response to Remus. Leaving the task incomplete, Sirius decided that he might as well bathe Harry then send him off for a nap.

Filling the kitchen sink with water, Sirius was headed towards the kitchen with Harry in his arms when there was a sudden bang as the door to the house was thrown open and a Ministry official barged in.

"Stop, Black!" The small man yelled, his wand pointed at Sirius. "Put Harry down! You don't want to do this!"

"I don't want to give my godson a bath?" Sirius asked, bewildered. Why didn't the Ministry want him to give his godson a bath. "Does the Ministry want Harry to grow up stinking?

"A bath? I…I… thought you were going…" The man stuttered looking at the sink of water the back Sirius's arms, where Harry laid quietly.

Mimicking the man, Sirius looked at the sink and then to Harry, finally understanding what the man thought he was about to do.

"You thought I was going to drown my godson! You thought I was going to kill Harry? How many times do I have to tell you people? I am not a murderer! I didn't kill anyone and I will most certainly never kill Harry! I would never harm my godson. He has gone through enough pain in his short life!" Sirius yelled, as the official backed up and out the door. If Harry Potter wasn't in any danger, then he wanted to be nowhere close to the crazy Black.

Hearing Harry start to cry softly, Sirius held him close, softly rocking him.

"It's ok, Harry. I didn't mean to yell. Nobody is going to hurt you. Those men out there are just incompetent idiots." Sirius soothed as he slowly undressed Harry for his bath.

Once inside the water, Harry giggled with joy as he slapped the water, sending bubbles up into the air and often into Sirius' face. Sirius loved watching Harry in moments like these. He loved seeing Harry happy. His happiness gave Sirius the hope that even though Harry would grow up in Azkaban, he could still live a normal happy life.

Noticing Harry's drooping eyes, Sirius got him cleaned quickly and into his pajamas. Sirius rocked him slowly and began singing the lullaby Harry had fallen asleep to every night since he had arrived in Azkaban.

"Ma! Da!" Harry cried softly shortly before falling asleep.

"I miss them too, Harry." Sirius whispered softly as he laid a sleeping Harry into his crib. Picking up the small picture of James and Lily, Sirius gazed at is sadly before placing it in Harry's arms, who instantly brought it close to his chest.

-x-

Making his way back to the table, Sirius was determined to complete his letter to Remus. The letter will never be perfect. There will always be something that he can not phrase correctly, but the longer he waited, the longer it would take for Remus to believe him. If he ever wanted Remus to believe him, he needed to stop thinking and just write whatever came to his mind.

-x-

Remus was sitting on the sofa in his living room, a glass of fire whiskey on the table in front of him, when a brown Ministry owl arrived at his window.

He quickly let the owl enter, giving him a small treat before untying the letter from the owls foot. He watched as the owl flew away before looking down at the letter before him. Noticing the handwriting on the outside of the letter, a wave of pain went through Remus. He had written to Sirius to vent his frustrations. He had never expected Sirius to write back. He hadn't thought that Sirius would even be able to get an owl to deliver a letter.

Remus made his way back to his chair before he even thought of opening the letter. He didn't know what Sirius was going to say, but he knew that he would be better off sitting than standing when he read the letter. He never knew what to expect with Sirius.

_Dear Moony,_

_When I got your letter I avoided it. I knew what you were going to say before I read it and the pain that those words would bring caused me to let your letter sit alone on my table for three days._

_I'm not the man that you think I am. I loved Lily and James. I loved that family that they provided for me. They were my family. James was my brother, just as you still are my brother. I know that you may hate me for what you think I have done, but I still love you as a brother Remus. We went through so much together and I just hope that one day you will believe I am innocent._

_I was not Lily and James' secret keeper. They gave me the honor, but I asked them to switch to Peter. It was the perfect idea. Everyone knew how close James and I were. It would be obvious that he would choose me to keep their secret. Nobody would ever think that he would have chosen poor, quiet little Peter. _

_It was Peter that betrayed our friends and it was Peter that killed all those muggles. He isn't dead, Moony. He's still out there. He blasted off his own pinky and then changed himself into a rat. He tricked everyone. _

_I know that you don't want to believe me. Hell, you probably think I'm just trying to fool you again, but at least consider my side of the story. I loved James. James was the best thing that ever happened to me. I would rather have died than giving up his location._

_As for Harry, I can't give up custody of him. He is the only part of James that I have left and he's the only one in this world that loves me now. I need him Remus. I need him just as much as he needs me. I will never harm him. If I ever hurt him, I would give up custody instantly. _

_There are things that Harry can't do in Azkaban though. Today he wanted to go outside. I know he needs to go outside, Remus. He can't stay cooped up in this little house forever. He needs the fresh air. _

_I need your help, Remus. I need your help raising Harry. I can't take him outside, and I definitely can't take him off this island. You can though, Moony. You could take Harry at least once a week. He could go outside and he could meet other children his age. I want you to be part of hi life, Remus. He needs to know that there is more than just me loving him._

_He cries out for Lily and James sometimes. He wants his parents and I don't know how to explain to him that they aren't coming back. I didn't kill them, Moony. I might as well have though when I told them to switch secret keepers. I feel so guilty whenever he calls out for one of them. I don't know what to do anymore, Remus. Please help me, Moony._

_I'm not a murderer. I'm your brother. I have never shown any signs of interest in dark magic. I have always detested it. I am nothing like my family and I have always taken pride in that. Please think back to our Hogwarts day. Remember the little prankster that I was. I'm still that boy. Please, Moony, at least consider what I have written._

_Your Brother Always,_

_Sirius Black_

Finishing the letter, Remus didn't know what to think. Sirius never was evil, but neither was Peter. He would do what Sirius had asked, he would consider Sirius's side of the story, but he would need some more evidence before he believe Sirius's innocence.

Now though, there was something he needed to do. Sirius had agreed to allow him into Harry's life. He hadn't seen Harry in over a month. It was time he went to visit his late friend's only son and the man that could possibly still be his remaining brother.

A/n: Well there is chapter five. I'm not sure if I really like it, but it will have to do. Please review and let me know what you thought.


	6. Alerting Dumbledore and the Ministry

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of its characters.

Thanks so much for everyone that reviewed. I have had a couple of reviews bring up two points. First, nobody has used the truth serum on Sirius because they all believe him to be guilty. I may use it later in the story, but if I wrote about it now, it would kind of ruin the whole purpose of the story. Also, many people asked why Remus believed Sirius so easily. Remus does not believe Sirius. He is only entertaining the idea that his friend is not evil.

Chapter 6: Alerting Dumbledore and the Ministry

Remus stood in the headmaster's office examining the sleeping portraits of Hogwarts' previous headmasters. He had owled Dumbledore immediately after reading Sirius's letter, telling the headmaster that he had an urgent matter to discuss with him. Dumbledore had responded quickly stating that he was headed to a meeting, but Remus could floo to his office and he would be there as soon as possible.

Remus walked around the room, staring in amazement at the mess before him. How Dumbledore could find anything in this mess was beyond him. There were rolls of parchment everywhere, weird trinkets, half of which were broken, were thrown about and books littered the floor causing Remus to step carefully.

Remus finally sat down in a comfy chair before the Headmaster's desk. His mind quickly turned to Sirius. He wanted to believe Sirius was innocent. He wanted to think that this was all a misunderstanding and that Sirius had played no part in it whatsoever. He wanted to have one of his best friends back. He wanted to hear Sirius laugh again as he played on of his stupid pranks on an unsuspecting victim. Above all, Remus wanted to no longer be alone.

His childhood had been difficult. After he was bitten, he kept to himself. He didn't want to make friends for fear of what they would think of him if or when they found out he was a werewolf. Growing up, he watched children his age make friends. He longed to be one of them. He saw their smiles and watched the games they played with a longing in his eyes. He knew, though, that he would never have friends. His friends would turn on him as soon as they knew what he was. He didn't think he could take that kind of humiliation, so he always watched from afar, never letting people close enough to become a friend.

When he went to Hogwarts everything changed. When he had received his letter, he was ecstatic. He didn't think that he would be allowed at Hogwarts due to his condition. For the first time in his life, Remus entertained the thought of actually making a friend. However, he quickly pushed that idea out of his head. Coming to Hogwarts didn't change anything. He was still a werewolf and he knew no one would want to be friends with such a disgusting creature.

It was on the train that he met Sirius and James for the first time. He had been in a compartment all to himself, thinking about his future classes at Hogwarts, when two boys had thrown the compartment door open and quickly slammed it shut behind them. They peeked carefully out the door's window as a boy with greasy black hair came walking by, covered in some kind of green liquid, muttering about blood traitors and muggle lovers.

They had turned around, noticing him for the first time and introduced themselves. Remus remembered how they began telling each other all the pranks they had played on their family, each boy trying to better the other. He remembered laughing and thinking how these were the kind of people he would like to have as friends, if he ever made any. They included him in their conversations and he quickly began to feel comfortable around them. When they all three became sorted in the same house, Remus felt a since of relief. Even if he wasn't going to be able to make friends with them, he wanted to at least have them around.

How they became friends, Remus really didn't know. He tried to block them out as much as possible. Whenever they invited him to join in on one of their pranks he always turned them door, telling them he already made plans. They were persistent though, and before long Remus could no longer avoid them. They were everywhere and Remus eventually caved and allowed someone close to his heart for the first time since he was bitten.

He knew that Sirius and James were curious about him and his condition. He was always weak and he was constantly in the hospital wing. He knew they never bought his stories about visiting a sick relative, but they never questioned them either. When they finally confronted him and told him that they knew he was a werewolf, he didn't know how to respond. He thought they no longer wanted to be friends, but Sirius told him he was being mental and even joked that he would rather be a werewolf than a member of the Black family.

He had been surprised that the weren't disgusted, but he knew from that day forward that they would be the best friends he would ever have. He trusted them with everything, never keeping a secret from them. He knew that they would stick with him regardless. Being friends with James and Sirius, and even little Peter, had made Remus happy for the first time. With these three friends, he knew he wouldn't be lonely anymore. That happiness had lasted until Halloween 1981, when all three of his friends had been ripped from him in a single night.

-x-

Dumbledore stood silently at the door, watching Remus. He pitied the young man. Dumbledore knew what Remus had been through as a child and he knew that making three incredible friends was more than Remus could ever ask for. Loosing all three of his friends at once had to of been hard. Out of all the people grieving over the death of Lily and James Potter, Dumbledore knew that Remus was grieving the most. He hadn't only lost Lily and James, but he also lost Peter to one of his best friends, and the betrayal Sirius hurt just as hard. No one had ever expected things to turn out this way, especially with Sirius.

Taking one last sorrowful look at the man before him, Dumbledore decided to alert Remus of his presence.

-x-

"Hello, Remus."

Remus jumped slightly at being addressed by the Headmaster. He hadn't heard Dumbledore enter the room and he wondered slightly how long he had been there.

"You said you had an urgent matter to discuss?" Dumbledore asked as he sat down behind his desk.

"I received a letter from Sirius today. It was about Harry." Remus said, noticing how Dumbledore became more alert at the mention of Harry's name.

"What about Harry?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

"Sirius doesn't want him cooped up in Azkaban all his life. He thinks that Harry needs to get out and explore the wizarding world." Remus stared, but was interrupted by Dumbledore.

"Is he giving up custody of Harry to you?" The headmaster asked with a hopeful gleam in his eye.

"Sirius won't ever give up Harry. We both know that. Regardless of whether or not Sirius is really guilty of this crime, he loves Harry and plans on raising him as his own son. Sirius merely asked me to be a part of Harry's life. In his letter he said that, with his permission, I could take Harry once a week to explore the world that he was born into. He wants Harry to be around people and around magic."

"Do you question whether Sirius is really guilty of betraying Lily and James?"

"I don't know." Remus answered. "I want to believe that Sirius is innocent. I never expected him to turn against us, but the evidence is against him, so I don't know what to believe."

"Alright then. If Sirius has given you permission, then I don't see the Ministry having any problems allowing you to visit Azkaban once a week. They want Harry away from Sirius as much as possible." Dumbledore replied as he stood up and motioned for Remus to do the same. "It's off the Ministry."

-x-

Remus stood outside of the minister's office as Dumbledore talked to him about the situation. He could hear mumbled responses, but was unable to hear the actual conversations. After about ten minutes, the wooden door open and both Dumbledore and the minister stepped out of his office.

"Do you have the letter that Black sent you?" The minister asked Remus, who produced the roll of parchment from his pocket. The minister read it slowly, shaking his head at Sirius' attempt to prove his innocence. Finally he looked back at Remus, and nodded his head. "If Black wants you to be a part of Harry's life, the better for the rest of us. Maybe with your influence the child won't turn out like him. I will get the paperwork ready and you should be able to go get him tomorrow, if you would like."

"Thank you, Minister. There is one more thing that I would like you to do for me though." Remus said, glad that they didn't try to keep Harry from him.

"And what is that?" The minister asked, looking skeptically at Remus.

"Don't alert the media to this. Harry is already going to be under the media for the rest of his life. I don't need them following me, taking pictures and asking questions, whenever I have Harry for the day." Remus replied.

"I can do that. Now if you follow me, we can get this paperwork done." The minister answered, as he turn his back and began walking down the Hall. Remus follow, Dumbledore closely behind him. All Remus could think of was by this time tomorrow, he would have baby Harry safely in his arms.

A/n: That's chapter six. Not much action, but I promise there will be a Sirius and Remus interaction in the next chapter. I'm still trying to think where I should have Remus take Harry on their first outing. Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. I love reviews, they make me write faster.

Thanks again,

PadfootObsessed329


	7. Remus's Visit

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anyone of its characters. No matter how hard I wish, Sirius will never be mine.

A/.n: Thanks again for all the reviews I have receive. There is one thing that I would like to say. Sirius will be given a trial. I promise. I don't know when his trial will take place, but it will not be in the next few chapters. I want Sirius to raise Harry in Azkaban for a little while before he goes on trial.

**Chapter Seven: Remus's Visit**

Sirius was in the hospital, pacing the small area that passed as a waiting room. He cringed at the sound of a woman's scream down the hallway, glancing at the doors every so often, in hopes that James would be walking through them. The wait was going to kill him. It was bad enough that he had already had to wait nine months before his godson was born. It wasn't fair that Lily was taking so long. Three hours was definitely too long to be in labor, Sirius told himself. If little Harry wasn't born soon, he was surely going to go insane.

The young witch behind the receptionist desk, glared crossly at Sirius as he continued to pace the waiting room. He knew that he should apologize to her about his early outburst, but he was too exited for that. His Harry was going to be born. He was finally going to have a godson. He would have a little baby that he could help raising, teaching him pranking skills that Lily would surely never allow James to teach their son.

The thought brought a smile to his face that only continued to grow wider as he realized that the screaming from down the hall had stopped.

Whirling around, Sirius quickly ran towards the door, arriving only seconds after James passed through them. Without a word, the two men made their way to Lily's room, smiles on each of their faces.

Sirius entered the room, barely getting a glimpse of a very tired Lily before he was affronted by a doctor.

"I'm sorry Sir, but only family is allowed. You may come back tomorrow during visiting hours, if you wish."

Sirius nodded his head, and turned to leave when he heard James' voice behind him.

"Sirius is family." Sirius smiled as James pushed him further into the room towards Lily and the little bundle in her arms. He knew that James and Lily both considered him family, but he was always overjoyed when one of them mentioned it aloud. He had never had a real family and before he met James, he had never thought that he would every find a place where he belonged.

"Do you want to hold him?" Lily as quietly, passing the bundle to Sirius when he nodded his head.

He was speechless. There was nothing that Sirius could say to describe how he was feeling at that moment in time. Harry was only his godson. He didn't take a part in his creation, but to Sirius it felt that Harry truly was his flesh in blood. Smiling down at the little bundle, he kissed his godson's forehead before handing him to James.

Sirius vowed that day that Harry would have a completely different life than he had. His godson would always know what love was. He would be surrounded by love and Sirius promised himself that he would never allow anyone to hurt his little baby boy. No matter what it took, he would protect Harry, even if it someday cost him his life.

Sirius woke up with tears slowly running down his face. He remembered that day clearly. Besides they day the he had met James, Harry's birth had been the best day of his life. It had been the day that another Potter had been brought into this world; one more person to add to his little, loving family.

He had made a promise that day that he had every intention of keeping. When he convinced James to switch secret keepers, he thought he was doing what was best for everyone. The only thing that he had really did was cause himself to break his promise. He had allowed Lily and James to die. He caused Harry to face the pain as growing up without any parents. He had never imagine that he would break his promise this way, but there was nothing he could do. Now, the only thing he could do was carry out the rest of his promise. He would love Harry. He would make sure that Harry never had the childhood he had. Sirius would make sure that Harry knew he would always love him and that his parents had loved him more than he would ever be able to imagine.

Getting out of bed, Sirius walked over to Harry's crib and delicately picked the little boy up. Waling back over to the bed, Sirius gently placed Harry on the mattress before getting back into bed himself. Kissing Harry on his forehead, directly above the lightning bolt shaped cut, Sirius cuddled Harry to his chest and tried to get a couple more hours of sleep before the morning arrived.

-x-

Remus Lupin laid in bed, staring intently at his ceiling. There were ninety seven square tiles on the ceiling of his bedroom. On each tile there were one hundred and four little grey dots and in the corner by his closet, there was one tile that had three red spots of some unknown substance. Needless to say, Remus had been unable to sleep. Taking another glance at the clock on his bedside table, Remus groaned as the clock mocked him.

He couldn't believe that it was only four in the morning. Surely it had too be later. It had seemed hours ago when the neon green numbers had said 3:30 a.m. Groaning once more, Remus buried his head under a pillow and attempted to get some sleep. Thoughts of Harry and Sirius came swirling into Remus's mind and he knew that he would never be able to get any sleep. Groaning for a third time, Remus decided to give up on trying to get any sleep and made his way to the kitchen to get a snack before he lost himself in thoughts of his Hogwarts years.

-x-

Sirius groaned loudly in protest the soft smacking on his arms. He kept his eyes shut, hoping that whomever was hitting him would give up and he could resume his sleep. He had no such luck however when seconds later the smacking turned into harder kicks to the stomach, accompanied by soft laughter. Opening his eyes, Sirius was confronted with the smiling face of his godson.

"Do you think it funny to hit, Padfoot? Do you, Harry?" Sirius asked, causing Harry to giggle louder. "All right then, you asked for it." Sirius said as he reached over and tickled Harry's stomach, causing the boy to erupt in laughter. Smiling, Sirius looked down at Harry, imaging the he would never love a child as much as he loved Harry. When he accepted his role as a godfather, he had promised James that he would love Harry as if he were his own son. That was one promise that Sirius knew he would never break.

-x-

Finally! The clock in the kitchen read seven a.m.; a time that would be considered decent to visit Azkaban. Throwing on an old shirt and trousers, Remus flooded to ministry, where he received a portkey that would take him directly to Azkaban.

Standing outside of the makeshift house where Sirius was raising Harry, Remus sighed before slowly turning the knob. Opening the door quietly, Remus watched for a moment as Sirius played with Harry. His old friend was putting on a puppet show for little Harry, who laughed joyously at his godfather's antics. It was just like old times, Remus told himself. This was the same Sirius that had helped raise Harry since the day he had been born. Sirius loved Harry just as much as he had loved his friends. It didn't make since that Sirius would have betrayed them. There had to be some other explanation. Maybe Sirius was telling the truth. Maybe Peter was still out there. He didn't know what to believe anymore, but he promised himself that he would discover the truth. Sirius had been one of his best friends, and if he was innocent, he didn't deserve to be in Azkaban. He deserved to have his own place, raising Harry in an environment that was more suitable for small children. So deeply engrossed in these thoughts, Remus didn't notice Sirius had stopped his puppet show until he addressed him.

"It's about time you got here, Moony." Sirius said, smiling at his old friend. "You can come inside. We don't bite."

"As I recall, Harry does, in fact, bite." Remus said, referring to last Christmas, where Harry had accidentally bitten Remus's hand when he had tried to hand him a piece of chocolate.

"Aw, Moony that was an accident. You know how Harry is when it comes to chocolate." Sirius said, overjoyed at seeing Remus. Remus had always been a hard person to read. He hid his emotions well, but he didn't seem angry so Sirius hoped that Remus maybe didn't hate him.

"I don't know what to believe, Sirius. There is so much evidence against you, but I've known you since we were eleven and I would never have imagined that you would betray James. I want to believe you, Sirius. I really do." Remus said, changing the subject abruptly.

"Then believe me. I'm innocent, Moony. I detest the Dark Arts. I always have, you know that." Sirius replied. He needed Remus to believe him. If Remus believed him, the he could fight for him and maybe he would get a trial. If he got a trial, he and Harry would be out of this hell hole and the whole world would know that Peter was the traitor, not him.

"I just need some time, Sirius. Your letter made make me question even more whether you were guilty of such a crime. There is a lot to think over, but if you really are innocent, and god I hope you are, I'll get you out of here. I promise."

"I'll be waiting for that day. Until then, you know where you can find me." Sirius said, a trace of a smile on his lips. Remus didn't hate him, he told himself. Remus would come around. After a few visits, he would see that he was the same Sirius he had grown up with. The same Sirius that had loved Remus and James like brother; brothers that he would never betray.

"Harry." Sirius called quietly in his godson's direction. "Harry, come here. We have a visitor."

Turning his head, Harry let out a loud squeal when his eyes rested on Remus. "Mooey" he cried before running to Remus, hugging the older man's legs.

Picking up Harry, Remus pulled him into a hug. He hadn't spent as much time with Harry as Sirius had, but he still loved Harry just as much. He was James' son and he would protect him anyway he could. He was all that was left of James now and Remus knew that it had become his and Sirius's job to teach the only living Potter how to live up to his father's pranking legend.

Looking to his left, Remus noticed that Sirius had disappeared. Glancing around the small "house" Remus saw Sirius coming out of a room to the right. In his hands he held a small coat, a scarf, and a pair of gloves.

"I don't know how the weather is outside, but I thought I would give these to you so he doesn't get cold." Sirius said and Remus nodded.

Taking Harry from Remus's arms, Sirius held Harry so he could look into his godson's face. "Your going to go with Remus for a little while. He is going to take you outside where you can get some fresh air and maybe play with some other children." Sirius took a breath, wiping a tear from his eye. "I can't go with you Harry. So be a good little boy for Uncle Moony and I will be here waiting for you when Moony brings you home."

Remus watched the interaction with his own unshed tears. He watch as Sirius painfully said goodbye to Harry. Remus knew Sirius wanted to be the one taking Harry outside, and Remus wished that Sirius could go with them. Watching the display of emotions, Remus knew then that Sirius could not be guilty of the crimes he had been charged with. His friend held too much love for this little boy to hurt him in any way.

Putting an arm of Sirius's shoulder, Remus gently spoke to him. "It will all be ok. We'll get this all worked out. I promise to have Harry home by nightfall."

Sirius watched his best friend and godson walk slowly to the door, before calling out to Remus one final time. "Keep him in the muggle world today. If somebody sees you with a baby in the wizarding world, they might guess who it is. I don't want him to be bombarded by people, especially not today. He needs time to adjust to his new environment. Just take him somewhere where he can just be a kid."

"I will Sirius. He's safe with me." Remus said, giving Sirius a sad smile, before walking out the door.

Sirius watched the remainder of his family go out the door. To him, it felt as if they were walking out of his life. Slowly he slid down the wall to the floor, his body shaking softly as he cried for his friends, Remus, Harry, and finally, for himself.

A/n: Well that's chapter seven. I hope you all liked it. I not so sure I like the ending. Please review and let me know what you thought.

PadfootObsessed329


	8. A Forgotten Parcel

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters do not belong to me. If I owned Sirius, he never would have died.

A/n: Sorry for the wait on this chapter. Seniors go back to school in about a week so I've been trying to finish up all my summer work. I'm about halfway done, so I probably won't be posting the next chapter until the work is all complete. I would also like to ask that if you put me on your favorites or alerts list to please review. You only have to say a couple words. I just love hearing thoughts and opinions from my readers.

Thanks to all that reviewed. I love them! Please keep them coming.

**Chapter Eight: A Forgotten Parcel**

Once out the door, a ministry official handed Remus a crumpled bit of old parchment.

"The portkey should activate to as soon as you exit the gates. It will take you to whatever destination you and the Minister have decided upon. You will be traveling by this method every time you come to visit Harry. If you plan on changing your destination, you must tell the ministry so an appropriate portkey can be created." The official told Remus.

As Remus scanned the man over, he noticed that the ministry official was nervously glancing at the door that Remus had just passed through. Apparently guarding the door to Sirius's 'cell' wasn't what this man had sighed up for.

"Don't be so nervous. Sirius isn't going to hurt you." Remus told the man, as he shook his head and began to walk towards the exit. He stopped and turned however, when the man made a reply.

"He isn't going to hurt me? Sirius Black is a madman! He killed thirteen people! And they are letting him raise a baby? In a few years time, that baby you are holding is going to be an evil child! He is going to become just like Black! Dear god, how can you defend that man after everything that he has done."

"Don't you talk about Harry! The world may think that Sirius had turned evil, but he would never hurt Harry. He loves his godson and he will do everything in his power to give Harry the life Lily and James would have wanted for their child." Remus seethed. "And I will fight for my friend. Sirius is not evil; he is anything but evil and no matter how long it take, I will make sure that this community knows that Sirius Black did not commit the crimes that he has been charged with." Without giving the man a chance to respond, Remus walked out the gate and felt the familiar sensation as the portkey was activated and he and Harry were transported back to his flat in London.

Once inside, Remus took Harry to the spare room that was located toward the back of his small house. He had bought this house a week after he and his friends had graduated from Hogwarts. At that time, Lily and James had rented a small place of their own and Peter had decided to stay at his mother's house for a short time before he found a place of his own.

Sirius had been the only one left out. When he had runway, living with James had been the perfect solution. Now though, Lily and James were living together and although they had invited Sirius to join them, he had turned his friends down, knowing that they needed time alone. He couldn't seem to force himself to find a place of his own. Growing up with his parents, Sirius had always been different, and as a result he had always felt alone. He was a Black, but he didn't act like it and he surely didn't share their illogical beliefs. He had been a disappointment he knew, but he didn't care because he was different. He was better than they were. That difference made him feel lonely though, and Sirius didn't want to feel that loneliness again. After seven great years of companionship from his three friends, returning to that pain would just be unbearable.

Remus, knowing that Sirius had an issue with living alone, had asked his friend to live with him. He had told Sirius that he had an extra room and he would love the company of someone else. Sirius had agreed immediately and although they both had their share of problems they had made it work. The Lupin-Black household was always full of live. Neither boy had been willing to grow up completely and numerous pranks had been pulled, mostly from Sirius who often acquired the help of James.

Remus remembered each prank James and Sirius had pulled on him with a smile. Once a marauder, always a marauder.

Scanning the room, the smile slowly fell from Remus's face. The room was a mess. Sirius had never been one for neatness and Remus had always been the one to do the cleaning. However, Remus hadn't had the strength to bring himself to Sirius's room since he had been arrested so everything was as Sirius had left it. Standing in the corner of the room was a small wooden desk, where a neatly wrapped package rested. The package was so neatly wrapped that it instantly Remus's attention and he became curious as to who Sirius had been planning to send it to.

Plopping Harry down on Sirius's bed, Remus made his way over to Sirius's desk. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw the package was addressed to Lily and James.

'Sirius must have been planning to send this to them when he heard about the attack!' Remus thought to himself, as he took the package back over to the bed and slowly began to open it. Inside laid a small black bundle and a scribbled letter from Sirius.

_Lily,_

_I'm ashamed of you! How could you forget the most important gift that I have ever given to my godson. It was Harry's favorite birthday present; much better than that awful singing teddy bear that James gave him. God, I don't know what goes on in the mind of that husband of yours. I've tried to change him Lils. I spent seven years giving him style advice, but he never listened. Good luck trying, my little fiery friend. I've sent back Harry's present that you 'accidentally' forgot last time you visited with this letter . You know you love it, Lily. Admit it. It's the cutest thing you've ever seen._

_Your friend._

_Padfoot_

Remus just shook his head at Sirius's bantering. Sirius always knew how to make someone smile. No one at Hogwarts had ever been able to stay mad at Sirius Black very long. His charm worked on everyone, even McGonagall, who Sirius had insisted on referring to as Minnie.

Carefully picking up the black bundle, Remus smiled to himself as he realized what the item was. Unraveling it, Remus held the small leather jacket out to Harry, who instantly squealed and demanded for it to be put on. Sirius had found the jacket in a muggle shop when he had been searching for a jacket of his own to wear when he rode his flying motorbike.

He had thought it was the perfect present. He said his godson would make all the other babies jealous with such a cool jacket. Lily hadn't been as enthused. If he remembered correctly, he believe that Lily had referred to the jacket as an abomination. She had made sure to tell Sirius that Harry would not wear 'such a thing,' but Harry thought differently. Harry had taken to the leather jacket as Sirius had to his own. Much to Lily's annoyance, Harry had demanded that he wear his new leather jacket whenever they left the house.

"Like Godfather, like Godson." Sirius had told Lily as he had dress Harry in the jacket, smiling at Lily's scowl.

Remus sighed loudly, wishing the he could turn back time and return to a happier time. Voldemort might still have been in power at that time, but his life had still been happier. He had still had friends. He had been still felt loved. Remus vowed to himself that he would get that feeling back. He would fight for Sirius. The only way that Remus would ever feel completely happy again was if Sirius was free. He couldn't take living alone. He needed his house to be full of life again. He needed Sirius back.

Picking up Harry, Remus zipped up the 'abomination' and headed out of Sirius's room.

"Are you ready to go to the park, Harry?" Remus asked the baby, who only giggled in response. He would enjoy his visit with Harry, but after he returned Harry to Sirius, he would begin his battle. The sooner Sirius was released from Azkaban, the better it would be for all three of them.

A/n: I know its short, but I must get back to my books. I have nine days to finish my modern book, read my classic book, write twenty questions on each book and then complete some grammar and three sections of math. I will write as soon as I possibly can. Please, please review. I loving hearing what you wonderful readers think.

PadfootObsessed329


	9. Memories

**Chapter Nine: Memories**

It didn't take long for Remus to decide where to take Harry. There was a park just outside London near the home of Lily's late mother and father. Lily had loved that park. She said she spent almost everyday of her childhood before Hogwarts in that park. She would go straight to the park after school, completing her school assignments under one of the large oak trees. Lily had always talked about the park while at Hogwarts and Remus knew that when summer can around, if he ever needed to find Lily, all he had to do was search the park.

When Harry had been born, Lily began taking Harry with her to the park on her visits. It wasn't really a surprise that Harry loved the park just as much as Lily did. Remus knew that Lily and Harry could spend hours in the park just enjoying the weather and the happy sounds of other children around them.

Usually Lily and Harry went to the park alone. She called it "their special time." It was the place she went when she'd had to get away from everyone. Usually it was where she went when Sirius and James go to be too much. When they started pranking each other in the house, Lily would scoop up Harry and take him with her to the park. She loved both Sirius and James and the pranks began to grow on her, but she knew how the boys could be. It was best sometimes to take Harry and escape the danger that was her husband and hi best friend.

When Lily and James had been forced into hiding, Remus knew she missed her trips to the park. He would sometimes catch her gazing at the muggle photo of her and Harry under the oak tree that a passing muggle had offered to take on one of their trips. Remus knew that little Harry would remember this special place that his mother always took him. It would be good for Harry to visit a place that he recognized.

"You ready to go Harry?" Remus asked, adjusting Harry's leather jacket one more time before grabbing his wand and apparating to a safe locating just outside the park.

"So little Harry, what do you want to do first?" Remus asked, smiling at the baby that began to coo and point at the swings. Laughing, Remus walked towards the swings, placing Harry on the baby swing and began to push his slowly. Watching Harry giggle and clap his hands as the swing went higher, Remus remember the first time he, Sirius, and James, had shown up at the park to surprise Lily and Harry.

"_I'm so bored!" Sirius whined, throwing himself onto James's couch and placing his feet in Remus's lap._

"_Honestly, Sirius! Can't you sit still for one minute? We just finished our prank war. Our best prank war, since Hogwarts if I might add." James replied, a smile forming on his face._

"_Oh James! I thought you knew me!" Sirius cried, clutching at his heart. _

_Remus watched his friends antics, smiling and shaking his head as he dumped Sirius's feet off his lap and onto the floor._

" _Oh! I have an idea. Let's go visit Lily! I wanna play with my little godson!" Sirius cried, jumping off the couch and heading towards the door._

"_I don't know if that is such a good idea, Padfoot. Lily left to get away from us." James responded as Sirius opened the door to his flat._

"_Of course it's a good idea, Prongs. Lily left to get away from our pranks. Not us." Sirius said with a smile as he turned back to face his friends. "Well maybe she left to get away form you to, but she loves me." With that, Sirius walked out the door, not waiting for his friends to follow him._

"_We'd better go, James. We wouldn't want to leave Lily to deal with Sirius on her own." Remus said as he and James followed after Sirius. _

_Lily sat on a park bench near the sandbox that Harry was currently playing in with a little girl. She smiled as she watched Harry give the girl one of his shovels before he went back to digging his own hole Her thoughts, however were interrupted by a lady sitting down on the bench next to her._

"_Is that your little boy over there? He's so cute. How old is he?" the lady asked._

"_Thanks. He'll be a year old in a couple months." Lily answered with a smile as she turned to face the lady next to her. As she turned back around, Lily glanced back to the sandbox to find the only baby there was the little girl. Jumping up, Lily began to panic until she heard Harry's unmistakable giggle coming from the other side of the park. Following the sound, Lily found Harry nestled in his godfather's arms as they slid down the slide. Off to the side of the slide, she saw her husband and Remus shaking their heads and smiling at Sirius._

_Picking up her bag, Lily said goodbye to the lady next to her and made her way over to the slide. _

"_Sirius Orion Black! Don't you ever scare me like that again! Do you hear me?" Lily yelled as she snatched Harry out of his arms. _

"_Lily! What did I do now? I just wanted to play with my godson." Sirius replied, giving Lily an innocent look. Seeing Harry's outstretched arms and his small cry of "Padfoo" Sirius attempted to take Harry back, but Lily turned away, giving Harry to James before she whirled around to face Sirius again._

"_What did you do? What did you do? Sirius! I turn around to find my son is gone! Gone! Do you know how panicked I was when I didn't see my son? Then I hear him laugh and see him going down the slide with his big oaf of a godfather? You should have told me you were here!" Lily yelled, poking Sirius in the chest with her finger after each questions. "And you two!" Lily whirled around to face James and Remus. "Did neither of you think to tell me you were here? Or did you think to tell me that Sirius took my son from the sandbox and went to the other side of the park? I expect this from him, but not from you two."_

"_We're all very sorry, Lily. Sirius was just so excited. You know how he is when it comes to muggle toys. He can never get enough. Combine that excitement with his excitement to see Harry and we thought it best to supervise. We should have thought about you panicking when Sirius took Harry from the sandbox. We promise it won't happen again." James apologized, leaning forward to give Lily a hug, baby Harry nestled between the two of them._

"_Yeah. We're sorry, Lils. Promise it won't happen again. Now can I play with my godson now?" Sirius asked, giving Lily his puppy dog eyes._

_Looking at Harry who was still reach out to Sirius, Lily sighed. She took Harry out of his father's arms and placed him carefully back into his godfather's. "Here, Sirius. You can play with Harry, but be careful." Linking her fingers through James's, the three remaining grownups made their way back to the bench to watch amusedly as Sirius tried to teach Harry how to climb the steps leading up to the slide._

As he continued to push Harry on the swing, Remus smiled at the memories of that day. Harry and Sirius had had so much fun. Harry had spent the day riding the slide with Sirius, sitting on Sirius's lap as he swung way too high for Lily's liking, and riding the merry go round with Sirius after Padfoot had somehow convinced James to push them. All the while, Lily had taken picture of the two with her muggle camera. Voldemort was still in power, but Lily and James hadn't yet been forced into hiding. They were happy. All of them had been happy that day. Remus just wished that he could go back to that day. He just wanted one last day with all of his friends.

Harry suddenly shrieked and began to point to the slide where several small children were playing.

"You want to slide now, Harry?" Remus asked, scooping Harry up and heading to another smaller slide that Harry could ride on his own. For now, Remus decided, he would stop living in his memories. He had Harry with him now and as soon as he could figure out a way to get Sirius out of Azkaban, he would have Sirius too. The three of them would be a family. They would raise Harry the way Lily and James would have wanted. They could make their own memories.

They spent several more hours at the park, playing on whatever equipment Harry desired. When lunch time had rolled around, Remus had taken Harry to a local restaurant and ordered them a light lunch before they headed back to the park for a couple more hours of play. Around mid-afternoon, Remus scooped Harry back up, deciding to get ice-cream before taking him back to Sirius.

"Come on Harry. We'll get you some ice-cream, then you get to go back to Padfoot." Remus said as he walked into the ice-cream parlor.

"Padfoo!" Harry shouted loudly, laughing and waving his hands.

"Yes, Harry. Padfoot. First ice-cream, then Padfoot." Remus said laughing. He was glad that Harry had Sirius to raise him. They boy lived his godfather very much and Remus didn't think anyone other than Lily and James would have been able to raise Harry with so much love.

Remus began to slowly feed Harry his ice-cream, but it seemed that Harry would rather play with the ice-cream than eat it. By the time the ice-cream was all gone, Harry's face, hands, and the table were all covered in chocolate, as well as a small spot on the ceiling. For such a small boy, he sure did know how to make a mess. Remus knew he would make a wonderful marauder one day. He was so much like his father and godfather.

"Come on Harry, we'd better go. I've got to stop by my house before I take you back to Sirius, and I'm sure he's been waiting and worrying about you all day."

Making a quick stop back at his home, Remus entered Sirius's room for the second time that day and rummaged around in the desk until he found what he was looking for. Placing the items in his pocket Remus picked up Harry and found the portkey that would take him back to Azkaban.

"It's time for you to go home, little Harry. It's time for you to go back to Sirius." Remus said as he felt the familiar pull on his navel as they disappeared on their way back to last remaining friend.

A/n: That's the end of chapter nine. There isn't much happening in this chapter, but I thought this chapter was necessary and the next update should be really soon. I know I haven't written in a very long time, but I think I'm finally ready to write again. I love this story and I promise that I will finish it. I would love to finish it by the end of the summer. Chapter ten is already partly written and I hope it will be up either Friday or Saturday.

Thanks for reading, and please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter.

PadfootObsessed329


	10. Alone

**A/n:** Thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter. I'm glad you all liked it. I hope this chapter is to your liking as well.

**Chapter Ten: Alone**

Sirius didn't know how long he stood staring out the door that Remus had left through with Harry. It could have been hours, minutes, or merely seconds. It didn't quite matter. Remus was gone. Harry was gone. It didn't matter that the separation was only temporary. It didn't matter that Sirius knew Remus would bring Harry back to him later that evening. All that matter now was the present and in the present he was alone. He'd known that having Harry with him had eased the pain on losing his best friend and made his stay in Azkaban more bearable, but he had never realized how much Harry had improved his life in the last few days.

Sighing, Sirius sank down into the bed behind him as the memories of the dreadful night came back to him. When Harry was around, he'd been able to suppress the memories. Harry was his responsibility now and Sirius focused solely on the happiness and wellbeing of his little godson. Now though, with Harry gone for the day, there was nothing keeping the memories at bay. Closing his eyes, Sirius watched the image of James's dead body materialize in his mind.

_He'd been the first person to arrive at Godric's Hollow after the attack. He'd entered the remains of his friends' home hoping for the best, but already fearing the worst. James and Lily couldn't be dead, Sirius remembered telling himself. And Harry, who would even think about hurting a baby. _

_He'd found James's body first. James was sprawled on the floor near the stairs, wand nowhere in site. Ignoring the voice in his head that said he was too late, that James was already dead, Sirius ran to his best friend. Kneeling next to James, Sirius gathered James into his arms._

"_Prongs. James." Sirius whispered softly, tears flowing freely from his eyes. "Come on, Prongs. Get up. You've got to get up. I need you. Please, James. Please." _

_Sirius had never felt pain so unbearable. The times he had been beaten, yelled at, and cursed by his own family, being forced to runaway, and receiving word that his mother had died, held nothing to the pain he felt now. James, his best friend, brother, and the first real family he had ever had, was dead. Sirius still couldn't believe it. How could James be dead? He's just seen him yesterday. He couldn't be dead so quickly, not when he was so young and he had a family to take care of._

"_Lily. Harry." Sirius whispered hoarsely. Giving James's body one last tight hug, Sirius gently placed his best friend's body gently on the floor. "I'll be right back, I promise James."_

_Making his way towards the stairs, Sirius feared what he would find. James was dead. What did that mean for Lily? For Harry? He didn't think he could take the site of seeing either of their dead bodies after what he'd just seen downstairs. He considered briefly about going back downstairs and calling for Dumbledore. He could wait with James and let someone else check upstairs. He could let someone else discover the site be feared awaited him upstairs. Pushing that thought away, Sirius continued upstairs. James was his best friend and his brother. He was godfather to Harry. It was the least he could do for James now._

_Following the path of the destruction, Sirius sucked in a breath when he realized the path lead to Harry's nursery. When Sirius slowly pushed open the door, the image before him caused him to fall to his knees._

"_No!" Sirius yelled, looking at the crumpled body of Lily, baby Harry snuggled up to her body. He brought his hands to his eyes, letting the tears fall hard, missing the movement Harry made at the sound of Sirius's voice._

"_Padfoo" _

_Sirius's head snapped up at the sound of his godson's voice. Looking back at Lily's body, he watched as Harry untangled himself from his mother and began to crawl towards him. Jumping up, Sirius scooped up his godson, placed a kiss to his head and hugged him tight against his chest. _

"_It's alright Harry. I've got you now. I'll take care of you. I promise." Sirius said quietly as he rocked his godson. "I'll take care of him, Lily. I'll keep him safe. I promise."_

Snapping his eyes open, Sirius bolted off the couch. He couldn't do this, not now. The memories, they were too fresh. They hurt to much to think about. Lily and James had been everything to him. They had been his world and now they were gone. Shaking his head, Sirius stood up. He had to keep himself busy. If he remained busy, he wouldn't think about that night. He wouldn't allow himself to think about it.

Grabbing some of Harry's toys that littered the floor, Sirius crossed to room and placed them in the closest toy box. He continued to put away Harry's toys, straighten up wherever necessary, and clean the items that he had been neglecting to spend time with his godson. Cleaning kept him busy enough to suppress the memories of Halloween. In fact, it kept him so busy that he didn't notice the ministry official that entered to room, remaining just inside the closed door watching Sirius cleaning the makeshift house.

When Sirius finally noticed his intruder, he stopped and stared at the man. He didn't know what this man wanted, but he wasn't afraid. The ministry may try to act like they had the power, but Sirius knew otherwise. They were powerless when it came to him. He had Harry and they could do nothing about it. They were merely an annoyance to him now.

"You got a reason to be here?" Sirius asked, flopping down on the couch, hand going behind his head so he could prop himself up.

"You don't deserve this, Black. You're a criminal, a Death Eater. You should be rotting in this place, instead you're living the high life. You murdered innocent people and you don't care. By God, you gave away Harry Potter's parents to the Dark Lord, yet here you are raising him and acting like you did nothing wrong. What do you plan to do to him, Black? Are you going to turn The Boy Who Lived evil? He'll find out the truth one day. He'll find out and hate you."

"You know nothing!" Sirius screamed, interrupting the official's rant as he jumped from the couch. "I never was a servant of Voldemort! If it weren't for that bastard, I wouldn't be here and Lily and James would still be alive. And The Boy Who Lived? Don't you ever refer to my godson like that again! He isn't some hero for the public to fawn over. He's a little boy. A little boy that just lost his parents."

"And who's fault is that? It's your fault their dead, Black. You deserve to be back in your cell, suffering like the murderer you are. The ministry considered you know? Putting you back in your cell while Harry was out. It's still free and awaiting your return."

Sirius sucked in a breath. He couldn't go back there. Not now. Not even for the short periods that Harry was out with Remus. The memories inside this house were bad enough. He couldn't even image what images would spring if the dementors were involved.

"Dumbledore convinced them not to, of course. He said that it wasn't a good idea. He believes you would end Harry's trips and never let him leave just so that you didn't have to return to your cell. He's probably right though. A selfish thing like you would do whatever necessary to prevent yourself from suffering." Shaking his head, the official continued on. "Dumbledore also talked about your mental health. The more time you spend with the dementors, the more you would lose your mind. He said it wouldn't do well for you to be insane while raising Harry." With that, the official opened the door, stepping out before turning to face Sirius one last time.

"Except it wouldn't really matter would it? We both know the dementors wouldn't have much affect on you. You're already crazy, Black"

When he was gone, Sirius sat back down, bring his hands up to his face. He knew what the world thought of him. He wished their was a way to prove his innocence, but the ministry wouldn't give him a trial. Even with custody of Harry, they wouldn't give him a trial because they were so sure he was guilty. The only chance he had of ever getting out of Azkaban was with Remus's help. He didn't know if Remus believed his innocence. He hoped he did, but Sirius couldn't be certain. He would give Remus time to think and maybe one day, hopefully soon, he would see that Sirius would never betray Lily and James like that.

If Remus believed his innocence, Sirius honestly didn't care what the rest of the world thought of him. He would have Harry and Remus and that was all he really needed. If he could get out of Azkaban, he would be able to raise Harry properly in a real home.

Until then, he would raise Harry like he promised Lily and James the best he could. He would shower Harry with love and affection. He'd find a way to get Harry new toys and they would celebrate each birthday and holiday together like any other family. He'd share stories about the marauders at Hogwarts. Stories he was sure James would have shared with Harry, regardless of Lily's disapproval. He would be sure to tell Harry about his parents. He would tell his godson how Lily had rejected James constantly throughout Hogwarts and how James had finally won Lily over during their seventh year. He would tell Harry the truth about his imprisonment and the real traitor. He'd do everything that Lily and James would have done with Harry. He wouldn't let Azkaban or the rest of the wizarding world prevent him from giving Harry the best childhood possible.

And he would work on Remus. Sirius was determined that he'd make Remus realize he was innocent. It might be hard work and it could take time but he'd make Remus believe. Remus always was the logical one. He'd realize soon enough that Peter was the real traitor.

A smile on his face, Sirius leaned back on the couch. Facing the door, Sirius waited patiently for Remus to return with Harry. He couldn't wait to have Harry back, snuggled safely in his arms. As long as he had Harry, he was happy.

**A/n: Well there is chapter ten. I meant to have Remus return with Harry in this chapter, but this seemed like a good place to end it. I promise they will return in the next chapter. That chapter should be out within a week, hopefully sooner than that. Please review and let me know what you thought. Even if it is only a few words or a sentence. I just like hearing what people think of my chapter. Besides, reviews make me update faster. Thanks for reading.**

**PadfootObsessed329 **


	11. Hope

A/n: Thank you so much for all your reviews. I don't think I have ever gotten so many reviews for one chapter. I'm glad everyone likes this story. I'm sorry it took me longer than expected to update. I meant for this chapter to be up Monday or Tuesday, but unexpected events occurred that didn't allow me to update. Sorry for the delay.

I know many of you want Sirius to get a trial soon, but I'm sorry that not going to happen anytime soon. I have a timeline worked out and it doesn't include Sirius getting out while Harry is still a baby. Sorry. I promise it will eventually happen, but I need him in Azkaban for a while in order for the story to go as planned.

Chapter Eleven: Hope

**When Remus arrived at Azkaban, he walked briskly toward Sirius and Harry's house, determined to see his best friend as soon as possible. He opened the door quickly and was about to call out to Sirius when he stopped suddenly. Slouched on the couch, his head resting against the back, was Sirius asleep with a genuine smile on his face. Remus didn't realize how much he had missed that smile. Since Hogwarts that smile had appeared less and less. The war against Voldemort had taken most of the happiness out of all their lives. Remus bet that Sirius hadn't smiled like that since he was thrown in Azkaban. He really hoped that raising Harry would bring Sirius the happiness he greatly deserved.**

**Remus closed the door quietly as not to wake Sirius and attempted to place Harry on the floor near his toy chest when the little boy caught sight of his godfather.**

"**Padfoo!" Harry called loudly and began toddling over to the couch.**

**Sirius snapped his head up at the sound of his godson's voice. He scanned the room, first seeing Remus then Harry who had just reached the couch. Scooping Harry up in his arms, Sirius smiled at the little boy.**

"**I missed you, Harry. Where you a good boy today? Didn't cause too much trouble for Moony?" Harry clapped his hands together and shrieked excitedly at the sound of Sirius's voice.**

**Running a hand through Harry's hair, Sirius adjusted Harry onto his hip before turning to Remus. He wasn't sure what to expect of his old friend. Earlier, Remus had told him that he didn't know what to believe and Sirius was anxious to see how the following conversation would turn out.**

"**Thanks for taking him, Remus. It's good for him to get out of this place, even if its only for a day or two each week."**

"**Sirius, I would take him anytime. He's Lily and James's son. I love him just as much as you do." Remus replied, fiddling with a pocket of his jacket. He wanted to tell Sirius that he believed him and that he would find a way to prove his innocence, but he wasn't quite sure how. He'd never been nervous around Sirius before, but now words seemed to fail him.**

"**Right. You can come back any day next week to take him again." Remus nodded in response. "Come on, Harry. Say good bye to Moony." Harry smiled and waved goodbye to Remus before turning back to face Sirius.**

"**Bye Remus." Sirius whispered quietly, turning away from Remus to get Harry ready to take a bath. It was obvious to Sirius that Remus wasn't ready to talk about his situation. He'd give Remus some time to think about it and attempt to convince him on his next visit.**

"**Sirius, wait!" Remus called to Sirius's back. He was a Gryffindor for goodness sake. It shouldn't be this hard for him to tell his last remaining friend that he believed he was innocence. "I believe you. You're not a traitor. You could never betray James. It just isn't who you are. I know you're innocent."**

**Sirius turning around quickly, a surprised expression on his face. "You believe me?" It was more than Sirius could wish for. If Remus believed him, it was a start. If one person could believe him, then that meant he might be able to convince other people of his innocence. If he could do so, then he could get out of this place and give Harry the home he truly deserved. **

"**Of course I do. I can't believe I ever thought you were guilty. You loved Lily and James and you would never do anything to put them in danger. I know you would have died before you allowed anyone to harm them. And Harry. How could I ever think that you would do anything to cause him pain. You love that boy more than anything in this world." Remus said quietly. He glanced up Sirius's giving him a small smile before continuing. "I can't believe I was so stupid. You accepted me as a werewolf when most of the wizarding world would have turning their nose at me. Yet, you and James did everything possible to make me comfortable during those horrible nights. Why couldn't I see that you were innocent? Why couldn't I believe in you, like you believed in me? I'm so sorry, Sirius."**

**Remus's face was full of guilt and pain. How could he ever think that Sirius would turn against James? Was he so blinded by the loss of Lily and James that he would believe the rumors told by complete strangers over one of his best friends?**

**Seeing the expression on Remus's face, Sirius walked across the room. He embraced Remus in a tight hug, being careful not to squish Harry between the two of them.**

"**It's ok, Remus. I forgive you. If our situations had been reversed, who's to say that I wouldn't have thought the same about you? You believe me now and that's all that really matters. I've got you and I've got Harry. It's more than I ever expected when they threw me into this place."**

"**I'm going to get you out of here, Sirius. You and Harry don't deserve to spend your lives in Azkaban. No matter how long it takes, I will get you a trial. I'll prove your innocence." Remus replied, determined to find some evidence that would prove Sirius's innocence and get him released from Azkaban.**

"**Thank you, Remus." Sirius said as he pulled away, smiling at Moony. "Thank you."**

"**Tank you" Harry said, interrupting the two marauders and making them both laugh. Delighted that he had both of their attentions, Harry began to make loud happy shrieks as he repeatedly slapped at Sirius's arms. **

"**Oh, you want attention do you, Harry?" Sirius whispered loudly as he began to tickle the baby in his arms. Harry laughed loudly as he wiggled in his godfather's arms. Remus smiled at the sight in front of him. Sirius would take good care of Harry, he knew. The boy would grow up loved, maybe a little spoiled, but definitely loved.**

**Taking his eyes off the two, Remus crossed the room and sat on the couch that Sirius had recently left. As he sat, he noticed Sirius walking towards him, a laughing Harry still in his arms. Once Sirius had sat down with Harry on his lap, Remus reached into his pocket and pulled out the items that he'd taken from Sirius's room.**

"**I promise I will get you out of here, but until then, I took these from your room at home. I thought they would make you and Harry at least a little more comfortable in this **_**house**_**." Remus said, saying the word house with noticeable disdain.**

**Taking the items from Remus, Sirius looked down and smiled at the items in front of him. Remus had brought him some of his favorite pictures from his bedroom. They represent happier times in his life. Times when he could just be himself, despite the war going around him and his makeshift family. **

**The top picture was from Lily and James's wedding. He was standing up, a glass in his hand as he gave his best man speech. Lily was sitting down, coving her mouth with her hand as she laughed. James on the other hand, had his face in his hands, shaking his head as Sirius shared one of his many embarrassing stories about James to all the guests.**

**The second photo was of the day that he, James, and Remus had surprised Lily by visiting her at the park. Despite Lily's lecture, Sirius had loved that day. He'd spent the entire time playing with Harry as his friends watched in amusement. In this picture, Sirius was sliding down the slide, little Harry situated safely in his lap. Both boys had huge smiles on their faces. Unlike the previous picture, this one wasn't taken with a magical camera. It had been taken with a muggle camera since Lily never took a magical camera with her into the muggle world. Still Sirius was grateful for the memory of that day.**

**The next picture once again featured Harry and himself. Chuckling softly to himself, Sirius showed the picture to Harry. **

"**You remember that day? Do you remember the hard time that you put me through?" Sirius asked jokingly as he flashed the picture at his godson.**

"**Padfoo!" Harry shrieked, reaching his hands out toward the picture.**

**In the picture, Harry sat on the back of a large dog that greatly resembled a grim. The boy was holding tightly onto the dogs fur as it ran around the room as Harry laughed excitedly. The picture had been taken by Lily when she and James had returned from their date. That night was the first night Sirius had ever babysat little Harry on his own.**

**Placing the picture on the table, Sirius picked up the last picture Remus had brought him. Instantly tears began to form in his eyes. The picture was taken at Hogwarts under the Marauder's favorite tree in either their last year of school. James was leaning against the tree, pointing to something outside the picture, smiling broadly. Sitting next to him, Sirius had his head thrown back in laughter at whatever James was pointing at.**

**Sirius wished he could go back to that day with the information he knew now. He wished he could see that smile on James's face just one more time. He wished James was here with him now and none of this had ever happened. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Sirius looked back up at Remus. **

"**Thank you." Sirius said quietly, hoping to convey his gratitude. It was nice to at least have some evidence of happier times in his life.**

"**They were yours anyway. I just thought you would like to have them." Remus said shrugging his shoulder, but still smiling at Sirius. He knew what the pictures, especially that last one would mean to his friends. Reaching into his pocket, Remus pulled out the camera he had also taken from Sirius's room. "I brought your camera, as well. I though you might it to take pictures of Harry while you're here."**

**Sirius smiled, grabbing the camera and snapping a picture of Harry poking the picture of himself on Padfoot's back. The Harry in the picture kept making loud shrieks with every poke.**

**Sitting back, Sirius smiled. He may not be out of Azkaban, but for now he was ok with that. Remus believed him. Remus would help him fight for his innocence. They would find the evidence they need to prove he wasn't a traitor and a murderer. One day, he and Harry would be out of Azkaban and the three of them would be a family. **

**Well that is chapter eleven. Thank you so much for reading. Please review and let me know what you thought. Sorry again for the delay in updating.**

**The next chapter will probably skip around a little bit with time. I might skip a couple years so that Harry is a little bit older.**

**PadfootObsessed329**


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